Not sure why I should feel so frustrated after a 9 try win , our sixth from six in the league. We remain top on maximum points and now prepared for 2nd placed Basingstoke next week. Poor decision making and basic errors plagued our game and kept Portsmouth in the game in the first half. Not taking it away from the Portsmouth team who were well drilled, big and definitely committed to the game. 10 minutes in of a Havant scrum scrum half Robbie Hume broke to the blindside and opened up the wing to winger Chris Buckett. Pompey fullback made the last tackle but Chris offloaded inside back to Robbie who scored the first try, 7-0. Centre Harry Rabjohn converted his 1st of six for the day. 5 minutes later Dolphins secured the ball from a lineout and created a well shaped maul that they drove 35m into the Portsmouth in goal area and it went to ground. Try awarded to Sean Shepherd at the bottom of it, 14-0. Pompey showed they weren't going down quietly and on the 5th phase of a lineout broke through a weak piece of Dolphin defending to touch down, 14-7. Penalties and an decisions to kick the ball away kept Portsmouth in the game and again missed tackles let them in, 14-12. Dolphins came straight back and having received the ball from kick off put 5 phases of attacking play together to put centre Joshua Blackburn in for a try, 19-12. Then a penalty let Portsmouth claim 3 more points, 19-15. Errors stopped either side from adding more before half time.
Dolphin coaches asked the team to refocus and start again. It took 3 minutes for wing James Wise to answer their request and score a try, 24-15. Then with Dolphins 5m from scoring, but again a careless pass was intercepted and Portsmouth went the length of the pitch to score, 24-20.Frustration to the sideline was visible on the pitch as Dolphins struggled for 18 minutes to put together a balanced period of play but finally off a scrum 3 phases of attack saw Chris Buckett in for a try, 31-20. Dolphins took control of the game, and whilst it wasn't always perfect; phased play allowed them to build openings and flanker Kelton New scored a brace. Wise and Blackburn each added a second to their personal tally to round out the game 52-20.
So not pretty, but job done and 6 wins from 6 with max points. Bigger test next week as Dolphins travel to second place Basingstoke.